How to make Twitter enjoyable again: time travel

If you’ve ever wished for the simpler days of Twitter, before it became the floating dumpster of a social media site we’ve all submitted to like captives with Stockholm Syndrome, you’re not alone. But the good news is that you can go back again, albeit briefly. XOXO Festival co-founder and blogger Andy Baio has pointed out on Twitter that by using a hyper-specific filter, you can see what your Twitter feed would have looked like 10 years ago with the same people you now follow.

For me, 2008 Twitter was a delightful mix of people sharing what they ate for dinner, song lyrics, and, of course, what they were doing at that exact minute. It’s the sort of mundane, weightless joy that today’s timeline — which bounces between horrifying real-world news, mobs of harassment, and the same three jokes — just can’t compete with.

While you’re free to roam this sweet time capsule at your leisure, clicking the Latest tab will show you tweets from 10 years ago today, rather than 2008 as a whole. I’d suggest checking out your boss’ feed for long-forgotten blackmail material.